Based on Teracom's proven instructor-led training courses developed and refined over more than twenty years, Teracom online courses are top-notch, top-quality and right up to date with the topics and knowledge you need.

Ideal for:

Those new to the telecom business who need to get up to speed on telecommunications, data communications, IP, MPLS, wireless, networking, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems, SIP and Security

The non-engineering professional needing an overview and update on new technologies like IP, VoIP and MPLS

Anyone who wants to differentiate themselves from the rest of the crowd with an internationally-recognized certification when applying for a job in telecom or angling for a promotion

Recent Google Reviews

★★★★★ a month ago
At this level of commitment, access and efficiency, you won't find a better, more in-depth and reputable telecom training and certification course of study. Happy Customer.

Aaron Weiss
2 reviews

★★★★★ a month ago
The Teracom training courses I took were much better than I had expected. The production of the training materials was high quality and edited well. The instructor spoke clearly, had appropriate teaching aids, and conveyed technical material in a way that was easy to understand. The instructor also injected the right amount of humor to keep me engaged. I would highly recommend Teracom for training.

Ian Palmer
17 reviews

★★★★★ a month ago
All employees use Teracom as part of their onboarding. Great information!

Al Born
2 reviews

★★★★★ a month ago
I have a staff of recruiters who specialize in recruiting telecom professionals. We found Teracom's training to be very helpful so they understood the telecom basics and could better qualify potential candidates.

Volker B
2 reviews

★★★★★ a month ago
I have done three certifications with Teracom (CIPTS, CWA, CTNS). The content of all three courses was excellent as it also covered the reasons for technological changes and evolutions. Since I work in the IT industry on the project management side for many years these courses were a perfect complement to my overall IT knowledge. I can now speak to engineers and technicians more on the same frequency and can provide better consultancy to my customers. I feel the courses are also priced fairly and are fun to watch and study.

Teraom's exclusive Unlimited Plan gives you unlimited repeats of courses and exams: guaranteed to pass, and refresh your knowledge anytime in the future. Our GSA Contract GS-02F-0053X for supplying this training to the US Government is your assurance of quality and value.

Benefit from decades of knowledge, insight and experience distilled into clear lessons designed for non‑engineers, logically organized to build one concept on another… in plain English. Join our thousands of satisfied customers including:

and the FBI Training Academy, US Marine Corps Communications School, US Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, the NSA and CIA, IRS, FAA, DND, CRA, CRTC, RCMP, banks, power companies, police forces, manufacturers, government, local and regional telcos, broadband carriers, individuals, telecom planners and administrators, finance, tax and accounting personnel and many more from hundreds of companies. Teracom's GSA Contract GS-02F-0053X for supplying this training to the United States Government is your assurance of approved quality and value.

Course Descriptions

Certified Telecommunications Network Specialist (CTNS) Courses

The CTNS Certification Package includes six courses plus the TCO CTNS Certification Exam, Certificate and Personalized Letter of Reference. These courses will give you the core knowledge needed in telecom today, plus a certificate to prove it! Unlimited repeats of exams and courses. 30-day no-questions-asked 100% money-back guarantee.

It all begins with Plain Ordinary Telephone Service and the Public Switched Telephone Network. In this course, you'll build a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the telephone system: Customer Premise and Central Office, loops, trunks, remotes, circuit switching and how a telephone call is connected end-to-end. We'll cover LECs, CLECs and IXCs, sound, analog and the voiceband, twisted pair, DTMF and SS7.

Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of 20 years of instructor-led training, we'll cut through the jargon to demystify telephony and the telephone system, explaining the jargon and buzzwords, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together… in plain English.

Featuring many photos of actual equipment both inside a Central Office and in the outside plant, this multimedia course is an excellent way to get up to speed on traditional telephony.

In this online telecommunications course, we begin with a history lesson, understanding how and why telephone networks and the companies that provide them are organized into local access and inter-city transmission, or as we will see, Local Exchange Carriers (LECs) and Inter-Exchange Carriers (IXCs).

Then we will establish a basic model for the PSTN and understand its main components: Customer Premise, Central Office, loop, trunk, outside plant, circuit switching, attenuation, loop length, remotes, and why knowledge of the characteristics of the loop remains essential knowledge even though we are moving to Voice over IP.

Next, we'll cover aspects of telephony and Plain Ordinary Telephone Service, including analog, the voiceband, twisted pair, supervision and signaling including DTMF. The course is completed with an overview of SS7, the control system for the telephone network in the US and Canada.

On completion of this telecommunications course online, you will be able to draw a model of the Public Switched Telephone Network, explain its core-and-edge architecture, identify components and technologies, along with the big picture, including:

Why telecom networks are divided into local access wiring and long-distance transmission

The founding, breakup and re-emergence of AT&T in the US; TELUS and Bell in Canada

A basic model for the PSTN and its main components

Loops, why they are called loops and why there is a maximum loop length

The outside plant

Circuit-switching

Central Office and Customer Premise

How and why remotes are used; fiber to the neighborhood

Plain Ordinary Telephone Service

What analog is, and how it relates to copper wires, electricity, circuits and sound

How microphones and speakers work

The human hearing range

Whether trees falling in the forest if no-one is there to hear them cause a sound

The voiceband

Why and how the telephone system can limit frequencies to the voiceband

The objective of this course is to develop a solid understanding of mobile communications networks and technologies.

We'll cut through the jargon to demystify wireless, explaining the fundamentals of cellular and mobility, the buzzwords, the network, technologies and generations, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together... in plain English.

You'll gain a solid understanding of the key principles of wireless and mobile networks:

Coverage, capacity and mobility

Why cellular radio systems are used

Mobile network components and operation

Registration and handoffs

Digital radio

"Data" over cellular: Internet access

Cellular technologies: FDMA, TDMA, CDMA, OFDM

Generations: 1G, 2G, 3G, 4G

Systems: GSM, UMTS, 1X, HSPA, LTE

WiFi, 802.11 wireless LANs, and

Satellite communications

Most of this course is devoted to mobile communications. We begin with basic concepts and terminology including base stations and transceivers, mobile switches and backhaul, handoffs, cellular radio concepts and digital radio concepts.

Then, we cover spectrum-sharing technologies and their variations in chronological order: GSM/TDMA vs. CDMA for second generation, 1X vs. UMTS CDMA for third generation along with their data-optimized 1XEV-DO and HSPA, how Steve Jobs ended the standards wars with the iPhone and explaining the OFDM spectrum-sharing method of LTE for 4G.

This course is completed with a lesson on WiFi, or more precisely, 802.11 wireless LANs, and a lesson on satellite communications.

The OSI 7-Layer Reference Model is used to sort out the many functions that need to be performed, to be able to discuss separate issues separately. The functions are organized into groups called layers, which are stacked one on top of the other. This allows us to relate different pieces of the puzzle in subsequent lessons.

The course starts with the big picture, then one lesson for each layer, then protocol stacks.

Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of more than 25 years of instructor-led training. You'll learn what a layer is, what the layers are, what each one does and examples of where things like TCP fit into the model ...and how it all works together… in plain English.

This course establishes a framework for all of the discussions in subsequent lessons and courses: the OSI 7-Layer Reference Model, which identifies and divides the functions to be performed into groups called layers.

You'll learn what a layer is, the purpose of each layer, see examples of protocols used to implement each layer, and learn how a protocol stack really works with the famous "FedEx Analogy" presented as an embedded video by our top instructor, Eric Coll.

On completion of this course, you will be able to explain:

The concept of an open system and its advantages

What a protocol is, and what a standard is

The OSI Model and its purpose

What a Layer is

The seven layers of the OSI model

The name of each layer

The functions each layer is responsible for

Examples of actual protocols for each layer

What a protocol stack is and how it operates

Examples of standards organizations that publish protocols

Detailed Course Outline

1. Introduction Course introduction and overview

2. Open Systems Open systems vs. proprietary systems.

3. Protocols and Standards Illustrated overview of all the functions required for communications, and protocols vs. standards

Ethernet is the standard method of implementing data links between two machines. What started out as connections between PCs in the office has now spread to Optical Ethernet, used almost universally in the telecom network core, and fiber to the premise.

Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of more than 25 years of instructor-led training and counting. We'll cut through the jargon to demystify Ethernet, MAC addresses, LANs and VLANs, explaining the jargon and buzzwords, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together… in plain English.

In this course, we'll examine technologies for connecting machines, called LANs.

Originally, devices were connected to a cable to form a LAN segment. Today, devices are connected to an Ethernet Switch, a.k.a. Layer 2 or LAN switch.

This technology, frames, MAC addresses, broadcast domains and VLANs, migrated from in-building applications to the telecom network. Carriers' networks are today built with point-to-point fiber connecting Layer 2 switches in different buildings.

Fulfilling the goal to use the same technology for access circuits and services as in the core of the network, LAN technology is now used for 40 Gigabit/sec service using Optical Ethernet to large office buildings and 10+ Mb/s fiber-based services to businesses.

We'll see how routers implement the network with packet-switching, that is, relaying packets from one circuit to another, and how routers are a point of control for network security. We'll introduce the term Customer Edge (CE), and understand the basic structure and content of a routing table.

Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of 20 years of instructor-led training, we'll cut through the jargon to clearly explain IP and routers, packets and addresses, the underlying ideas, and how it all works together… in plain English.

This course could also be called "Layer 3", as it is all about Layer 3 of the OSI model: the network layer, and in particular, IP packet networks.

Packet networks embody two main ideas: bandwidth on demand and packet switching.

First, we'll recap channelized TDM and its limitations, then understand statistical TDM or bandwidth on demand.

Next, we'll understand how routers implement the network with packet switching, that is, relaying packets from one circuit to another, and how routers are a point of control for network security. We'll introduce the term Customer Edge (CE), and understand the basic structure and content of a routing table.

Then we'll cover the many aspects of IP addressing – needed to be able to do the packet switching: IPv4 address classes, dotted decimal notation, static vs. dynamic addresses, DHCP, public vs. private addresses, Network Address Translation, and finish with an overview of IPv6 and IPv6 address allocation and assignment.

MPLS and Carrier Networks is a comprehensive training course designed to build a solid understanding of carrier packet networks and services, the terminology, technologies, configuration, operation and most importantly, the underlying ideas… in plain English.

We'll cut through the buzzwords and marketing to demystify carrier packet networks and services, explaining Service Level Agreements, traffic profiles, virtual circuits, QoS, Class of Service, Differentiated Services, integration, convergence and aggregation, MPLS and other network technologies, and how they relate to TCP/IP without bogging down on details.

* Lessons on these legacy technologies are optional, included for reference for anyone who needs to know about them. They are not on the final exam. Feel free to skip these lessons.

Based on Teracom's famous Course 101, tuned and refined over the course of over 25 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of the structure, components and operation of carrier packet networks and services, how they are implemented, packaged and marketed by carriers and how they are used by government, business… and other carriers.

MPLS and Carrier Networks is a comprehensive, up-to-date course on the networks companies like AT&T build and operate, how they are implemented, the services they offer, and how customers connect to the network.

This course can be taken by those who need just an introduction to carrier networks and MPLS, as well as by those who need to build a solid base on which to build project- or environment-specific knowledge.

In the previous course, we used a private network, i.e. dedicated point-to-point circuits connected with routers, as the simplest framework for understanding packets, bandwidth on demand, routers, and network addresses.

In this course, we will take the same idea and apply it again at the carrier network level: replacing the dedicated lines with bandwidth on demand service from a carrier between the customer locations.

We'll spend much of this course understanding a powerful traffic management tool called virtual circuits, how they are implemented with MPLS, and how MPLS can be used to provide differentiated services, aggregate traffic and implement convergence.

Without bogging down on details, we'll cut through buzzwords and marketing to demystify:

Wireless Fundamentals is the first course in the CWA Certification Package. We begin with the basics: what radio is, how it's organized and how and it's used to communicate information.

We begin by understanding what radio actually is, and why we use it for communications. We'll understand how radio frequencies are in the Gigahertz range, used within frequency bands measured in the Megahertz wide.

Then we will look at the spectrum, i.e. standardized bands of frequencies, how they are allocated and the need for licenses. You will learn which bands are used for what, from cordless phones to WiFi and cellular, including the new 700-MHz bands.

Next, we'll understand how information is represented using radio. The first stop is a quick review of old-fashioned analog radio and TV, followed by what most systems use today: digital. We'll spend some time understanding digital, how 1s and 0s are communicated by modems and familiarize you with jargon and buzzwords like QAM and QPSK.

We'll finish off with radio transmission issues, including propagation, penetration and fading.

Course Lessons

1. Radio Fundamentals
2. Wireless Spectrum and Radio Bands
3. Analog Radio
4. Digital Radio: How Modems Work
5. Propagation, Penetration and Fading

Fundamentals of Voice over IP is a complete introduction to everything Voice over IP. You'll learn the fundamental ideas and principles of a VoIP telephone system, VoIP, SIP & all the other jargon - what it actually means and how it all works together.

At each step, we'll also cover supporting and related technologies like Ethernet MAC frames and codecs and video over IP.

This course can be taken by anyone who needs to get up to speed on all things VoIP. You will gain career-enhancing knowledge of the components and operation of Voice over IP systems, and learn what all of the jargon and buzzwords mean.

It also serves as a first pass through topics that are covered in greater detail in subsequent lessons.

Based on Teracom's famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of all of the different things someone could mean when they say "Voice over IP", and the pros and cons of each.

Course 2223 Softswitches, SIP, and VoIP Call Setup

Softswitches, SIP and Call Setup is all about how VoIP phone calls are set up using messages and procedures complying with the standard Session Initiation Protocol.

In this course, you'll understand what SIP is, how it works, demystify jargon like proxy server and location server, understand how SIP fits in with softswitches and call managers, and trace the establishment of an IP phone call step by step.

Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of how SIP is used to set up a VoIP phone call end-to-end, and how SIP fits in with call managers and softswitches.

Course 2224 Voice Packetization, Codecs and Voice Quality

Voice Packetization, Codecs and Voice Quality is the "nuts and bolts" of Voice over IP: how the voice is digitized and coded, time stamps applied with the RTP protocol, and how the result is carried in UDP, IP packets and MAC frames.

You'll learn about codecs and compression, and understand factors like delay, jitter and packet loss, what causes them, and how they affect sound quality.

Sample sound clips with lost packets and uncorrected timing variations are included in Lesson 9 so you can hear the effects.

Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of how packetized voice is actually implemented and the factors affecting sound quality.

Course 2225 SIP Trunking & Carrier Connections

SIP Trunking & Carrier Connections is all about connecting to carriers to communicate VoIP phone calls, both carrier-to-carrier connections and business-to-carrier SIP trunking.

You'll learn how the only way for a competitive carrier to terminate a VoIP phone call on a Local Exchange Carrier for the last mile is currently the switched access tariff, converting to DS0 channels using a gateway.

We'll understand why this will be a native VoIP connection in the future, and the role of Session Border Controllers.

Then we'll understand how a business system can connect to the PSTN using a gateway and PBX trunks, and the advantages of the newer SIP Trunking services for business to PSTN connection.

Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of how connections are made to carriers, both for business-PSTN connections and carrier-carrier connections.

IP Network Quality CoS, QoS, MPLS and Diff-Serv focuses on the network service provided by carriers to move packets containing voice, and how network traffic is identified, managed and prioritized, resulting in Class of Service offerings to meet Service Level Agreements.

You will learn how carriers use virtual circuits to manage flows of IP packets, and how MPLS is used to do this.

You will understand the idea of Differentiated Services: different transmission characteristics for different kinds of traffic, and how these are implemented as Classes of Service (CoS).

We'll cover Service Level Agreements and how "throttling" some users is sometimes necessary to ensure all users are getting the CoS they are paying for.

We'll cover the Quality of Service (QoS) mechanisms MPLS and 802.1P and how Classes of Service are implemented by routers.

Based on Teracom’s famous Course 130, tuned and refined over the course of over 20 years of instructor-led training, you will gain career- and productivity-enhancing knowledge of network quality, how it is specified and implemented.

Shop with confidence!
All choices come with a money-back guarantee: full refund within 30 days.

Teracom Advantages

Proven courses used by the biggest telecom carriers to train their employees
These courses are the same courses used by the biggest telecom carriers in the business to train their employees - constantly updated to deliver the core technical knowledge required in the telecom business today. This is the best quality training of its kind available.

GSA Schedule
Teracom online courses and certification packages are on our US Government supply contract... which took two years and a 200-page application... so you know you are getting quality.

Self-paced training
The courses and their lessons can be done at your own pace. There are no time limits for completing a lesson and moving to the next one. The courses may be done in any order.

Team training
These courses are a highly cost-effective and consistent way for managers to get team members up to a common speed with measurable results. The myTeracom Learning Management System provides management reports showing your team's progress with a few clicks of the mouse.

Available Study Guides in Print or eBook

CTA Study Guide
& Companion Reference Textbook

CTNS Study Guide
& Companion Reference Textbook

Technical Level and Intended Audience

Our training has been taught to wide acclaim across North America since 1992 and is designed for the non-engineering professional needing an overview and update, and for those new to the business needing to get up to speed quickly on telecommunications, data communications, IP, MPLS, wireless, networking, Voice over IP (VoIP) phone systems, SIP and security.

Our emphasis is conveying the key concept-level knowledge in plain English - which you can't get reading trade magazines or talking to vendors. We put in place a solid, valuable and long-lasting understanding. It is our goal to bust the buzzwords, demystify the jargon, and cut through the double-talk to present a clear, cohesive picture.

Based on Teracom's proven instructor-led training courses developed and refined over twenty years providing training for organizations including AT&T, Verizon, Bell Canada, Intel, Microsoft, Cisco, Qualcomm, the CIA, NSA, IRS, FAA, US Army, Navy, Marines and Air Force and hundreds of others, Teracom online courses are top-notch, top-quality and right up to date with the topics and knowledge you need.

The no-hassle training solution

Teracom's high-quality online courses are delivered in Google Chrome or Puffin browsers on any Windows or mac desktop or laptop, iPad, android tablet or phone with an internet connection... to any number of people, anywhere, anytime. system requirements

Ideal for self-paced training, courses are divided into lessons. Stay on a lesson for as long as you like, and move to the next lesson then write the course exam only when ready.